Silently Stressed - a survey into student mental wellbeing

Silently Stressed:
A survey into student mental wellbeing
The research
What aspects of student life stressed them?
Table 1 – Key Stress Issues for Students
Issues
We asked students what the most
stressful factors were for them in their
lives. The table above outlines the main
issues that students described as either
‘reasonably’ or ‘very’ stressful. It is clear
that exams and assessments are very
stressful for students, with the vast
majority of respondents reporting that
they felt stressed by these.
However, financial issues and concerns
around future prospects were not far
% who believe this to be ‘reasonably’ or ‘very’ stressful
Exams and assessments 90.5%
Considering career prospects 75.2%
Managing time and deadlines 83.3%
Self image 54.6%
Paying rent and bills 48.7%
Having enough money to get by 68.2%
Dealing with student loans 38%
Dealing with commercial debt 35.2%
Working a paid job
50%
behind in terms of stress factors for
students.
Almost 30% of students felt that four
key issues; exams, considering career
prospects, having enough money to
get by and working a paid job were
considerably stressful and had a
negative impact on their lives.
This report will consider these findings
in detail and look into each key stress
factor individually.
2. Exams and
assessments
The stress caused by exams and
assessments was reported by survey
participants as very high, with over 90
per cent of respondents citing this as
a significant stress. Although it can
be expected that assessments would
cause a certain level of anxiety, it was
unexpected that so many students would
find them to be so difficult. While a certain
level of stress is inherent in undertaking
exams and coursework, institutions must
be careful not to apply too much pressure
to students, or unnecessary amounts, as
additional pressure and stress may impair
a students’ academic performance in
assessments.
For an overwhelming majority of students,
the stress of exams and assessments is
very significant. We believe universities
and colleges need to reconsider the
types of assessments used to gauge
academic performance, and consider
ways in which students can be assessed
without being overwhelmed and without
having an assessment timetable which
adds unnecessary and unhealthy
pressure. Given the flexibility promoted
in modern teaching it is no longer
acceptable or excusable for students to
have an academic calendar which does
not reflect the needs of the learner and
does not take into account their learning
experience in the greater sense.
Recommendation
• Institutions should constantly review the
balance of coursework and assessment
and consider what impact this is
having on all aspects of the student
experience.
• Institutions should ensure there is
ample communication between
departments to prevent overlap in exam
and coursework submission dates,
preventing students feeling high levels
of pressure at one time.
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